Diseases of the Nervous System. ■ 353 



Symptoms. The first effect is drowsiness, the horse be- 

 ing sluggish at work and falling asleep while eating or drink- 

 ing, or the ox leaving his fellows and lying down with his 

 head on his flank, his eyelids semi-closed and his pupils 

 dilated. The bowels continue to move, passing undigested 

 matter and wind, the abdomen is full and the seat of fre- 

 quent rumbling, and the appetite is retained, so that the 

 torpid stomach is still further over-distended. This state 

 of things may continue for several days, and is followed by 

 imperfect control over the limbs, hind or fore, so that the 

 subject sways unsteadily in walking, and leans his head on 

 the manger and h.is quarters on the stall, when in the stable. 

 Sometimes paraplegia is the first sign, drowsiness being ab- 

 *ient throughout. The drowsiness in time gives place to 

 restless and involuntary actions, jerking of the head, champ- 

 ing of the jaws, pushing the head against the wall, move- 

 ments oil the limbs, walking in a circle or straight forward 

 regardless of obstacles, springing or dashing violently about, 

 convulsions, etc. These periods of violence or delirium oc- 

 cur in paroxysms, leaving intervals of comparative, though 

 not absolute, quiet and stupor. If not carefully secured 

 the animals often kill themselves during one of these parox- 

 ysms. The pulse and breathing are slow at first, but accel- 

 erated in the later stages. 



Acute lead poisoning in cattle results from eating red or 

 white paint (often the refuse of paint-pots, which has lain 

 for years in the soil), sheet lead, spent bullets, etc., or from 

 drinking from dishes which have held sugar of lead, or of 

 soft water that has run through leaden pipes or stood in 

 ieaden cisterns. The symptoms are usually indistinguish- 

 able from those above described, the pi-eliminaiy dullness 

 and drowsiness merging into active delirium, with reckless 

 dashing about and violent bellowing. 



Treatment in all cases consists in stopping the ingestion 

 of the poison and carrying olf from the bowels any that 

 still remains there. Double the usual amount of purga- 

 tive medicine mnst be given, with stimulants, their action 



